Thursday, April 20, 2006

Security

The Dock is one of those clubs that ever city has. It's seedy appearance and location has long attracted everyone from the everyday twink wanting to experience his first taste of gay life to the crusty old man who has yet to tell his wife and 2.3 children that he has an affinity for same gender play.

After having a cocktails with a few friends at the Dubliner, and getting over dashed hopes of catching a glimpse of Nick Lacey, I ventured down by the riverside and took in a few drinks at one of the city's oldest gay establishments.

When I decide to drive to The Dock, it usually happens on a weekend night, for two reasons. It's a weekend night, and there are a number of interesting people to watch.

But every few months I dispel the stigma of going out on a weeknight and head to The Dock for Hip-Hop night. It's the only gay club in Cincinnati that offers popular hip hop music. Too bad it only occurs on a Wednesday night.

Presumingly because of the type of clientele that Hip-Hop music may attract, there were noticeable changes to the usual Dock experience. Instead of simply showing my ID and paying the cover charge for entrance, an additional step of being wanded down by three different people, all with blacks shirts and the word SECURITY whited across the front and backs of their shirts. I felt as if I was about to board a flight or walk into the Federal Courthouse.

There were also a number of African-American bartenders that I have never seen there before. I guess they feel that Black people feel a bit safer if one of our own is pouring our drinks. After being frisked and wishing that the security personnel were a bit more attractive, I walked to the back bar to get a drink and found that the go-go bois who were usually perched atop of two speakers were replaced with two carbon copies of the people who had just accosted me at the front door.

I guess I shouldn't complain. No where else can I go to hear the music I like, but if the owners of The Dock are so afraid of Black people, why have Hip-Hop night?